John 14:16-18

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Spoiler alert: YES, there is comfort. YES, there is hope.

When our Lord Jesus knew that the time was nigh, when He would go to the cross, He loved His guys to the end.

He starts chapter 14 with ”Let not your heart be troubled …”

Our Lord knows that everything is going to be ok in the end. Go to the last chapter of Revelation. Jesus wins!

But, He also knows that there will be a lot of sin, trials and trouble here. And He promised not to leave us alone. Not only will He send the Comforter, but He’s going to come back someday to get us Himself. He’s not going to send Michael or Gabriel. He’s going to come Himself!

Comfort. Hope.

One of the worst things someone can face is loneliness. A recent survey found that 47% of Americans are affected by loneliness. Loneliness can lead to other problems like obesity, increased cigarette smoking, health risks like higher blood pressure and an increase in cholesterol levels. Depression and suicide are also risks. (Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/envy/201902/loneliness-new-epidemic-in-the-usa ).

But, the Lord says that we have a friend who sticks closer than a brother. There is a Comforter who is WITH us and IN us. Now, that’s sticking closer than a brother!

What a friend we have in Jesus!

We will never be alone when the Lord is with us and in us. I love that Jesus calls Him the Comforter. This is the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the holy trinity of God. Three persons, one God.

But, Jesus doesn’t use any of those names here. He is the Comforter. He will comfort us. When we are hurting, when we are lonely, when we are sick, when we are in despair, depressed, He will be there to comfort us.

One of the most comforting things in this life is knowing that God loves His own. So, it’s not surprising that, not only has He taken care of our eternal destiny, but He has provided for us here, now, today. He doesn’t want us to be alone, to be comfortless.

Part of our comfort in this life is the hope we have in the resurrection.

Yes, we have terrible sin to deal with and many hard times. Jesus told us we would.

John 16:33 — These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

But, we’re not to despair. Jesus has overcome the world and all of the sin that troubles us. He died for those sins.

That’s our hope. Yes, Virginia, there is hope!

We go through valleys in our lives when it certainly feels like we’re in the shadow of death. But, the Lord has promised to be with us through those valleys. And, after all is said and done, we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

John 14:1-3 — Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

One day, we will blink and it will all be over, and we will be with the Lord. No more sin, no more evil, no more troubles, no more loneliness, no more tears, no more pain, no more sadness or sorrow.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 — For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

The comfort of the Spirit. The hope of Christ. The love of God. Can we ask for anything more?

May God Bless You.